A TRIAL OF STRENGTH – PART 499 By Rob Williams
Chapter 499 – "DOCTOR CHAD FALLS IN LOVE"
IN THIS CHAPTER:
Doctor Chad and the handsome Aussie Adam have become close buddies, two macho top men who share almost everything – even Adam's boy Nate in an erotic spit roast. But one thing the alpha males don't share is sex with each other, each believing the other has no sexual interest in him. But when Adam moves into Chad's house events take a dramatic turn and hidden passions emerge that change their lives. ___________________________________________________________________
IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Doctor Chad was an expert surgeon, but when it came to love and relationships he was a rookie and totally out of his depth. He was new to man-on-man sex and since he joined the tribe he had fucked his way through numerous men, like a self-described `kid in a candy store'.
But he told the tribe's therapist, Dr. Steve, "But that's not me, Steve. I don't wanna be a fuck machine, sleeping with every guy I meet. See, I'm really a one-man kinda guy. When I fall in love it'll be just us two guys and our dog, sharing my new house – faithful lovers sipping cocktails before the fire, with an equally faithful golden retriever ... and wisteria over the door."
Chad had already found the house, a large place near the tribe's compound in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles. But it needed serious renovation. The tribe's boss Randy took charge of construction, the young Aussie Nate was doing cleanup and maintenance, and the young gardeners Finn and Tyler tackled the neglected wilderness of a garden.
When the house was finished Randy turned his attention to the small house where the Aussies Adam and his boy Nate lived. They had to move out for a week and Chad came up with the idea of them moving temporarily into the guest suite in his new house.
Chad welcomed their company to help him get adjusted to the new house. As the week wore on Chad and Adam, an airline executive, quickly became good buddies as they were about the same age and had much in common. One factor that helped Chad relax was that there was no sexual element to their friendship – just good buddies, like brothers – which Chad put down to a lack of sexual chemistry. It helped him keep his mind off his search for a lover.
They had a lot of fun sorting out the mess of furniture and packing boxes, and laughed a lot at their fumbling efforts in the kitchen that ended in a food fight. Chad decided that he couldn't wait any longer for a dog so Adam accompanied him to the animal shelter where he fell in love, not with the golden retriever of his dreams, but with a goofy-looking mutt he called Molly.
She took to both of them right away, and that evening they had dinner in front of the fireplace, the two men talking endlessly. But Molly became so attached to them both that when they headed for their own rooms she howled miserably so they all ended up sharing Chad's bed.
Before he fell asleep Chad's thoughts were a jumble. He had really enjoyed Adam's company, a lot, and he loved the fact that they were together now in the same bed. But he felt sure this was just because they had become such real good buddies.
They had been together most of the day but hadn't touched each other once. Surely that proved they were just friends – a friendship without sex. Oh he had felt his cock stiffen at times, especially when they sat on the couch together, and maybe Adam had too. But what of it? Hell, he had a boner now but that was nothing new, and certainly not because of Adam.
The clincher was that Adam clearly felt no sexual attraction for him. Sure he had admired his body but all the other guys did that, it was natural for gym jocks. And Adam had even made casual remarks about Chad sharing the house with whatever bloke you end up with here.' Yeah, one thing was sure, Adam would never be that bloke he ended up with'."
When they woke in the morning a horny Adam drowsily reached across the bed and put his hand on Chad's shoulder. "Hmm," he said in his deep Australian drawl, "I always wake up with a hard-on. I usually jack off thinking of some hot jock I've seen at the gym – a guy like yourself, doc. Hey, d'you think buddies jerk each other off? I did in high school. What d'ya think, bro?"
Chad's heart was beating wildly, but just then a car horn sounded and Adam jumped out of bed. "That must be Nate. He's back early – and just in time to stop his old man from making a fool of himself and embarrassing his new buddy. Sorry about all that drunken drooling, bro." He ran from the room to join Nate in the guestroom.
"Damn ... damn," Chad said to Molly, not sure what he was cursing at. All he knew was that he had a boner and Adam had been on the verge of ... He took Molly outside to pee, but she heard Adam's Aussie voice and ran to the guest-room. Chad chased her and through the half-open door he saw Adam fucking his boy Nate.
Mesmerized he watched the macho Aussie fuck – the ripped tanned body, solid pecs, eight-pack abs and long, sexy waist. And those square-jawed features and intense dark brown eyes.
This was the man he'd had so much fun with yesterday ... the man who helped him choose his dog ... the man he laughed with ... the man he had sat with by the fireplace with the dog at their feet ... the man who had shared his bed and ... and touched his shoulder. Could he also possibly be the man he was falling in love with? Chad was as confused as ever.
After their jubilant orgasm, Adam laughed, "Good on ya, Nate. Damn I needed that. It was building in me all day yesterday." Those words pounded in Chad's head – `It was building in me all day yesterday'. The day they spent together!
Chad realized he himself had not cum and he was glad of it. It would have meant ...he didn't know ... he didn't know anything. Fuck ... fuck ... fuck ... He had to leave – but it was too late as Molly ran into the room and licked Adam's leg. Adam said, "Nate, meet the new girl – the name's Molly. Hey, Chad, you out there? Come in and join the family, bro."
Chad hastily pulled up his shorts and walked into the room. The `family' consisted of Nate, propped up on his elbows, grinning from ear to ear – Molly wagging her tail at Adam's feet – and Adam himself, buck naked, holding his cum-soaked shorts, his long cock still dripping cum, swinging between his legs.
Chad felt completely out of his depth. He had no idea what came next.
******************* CHAPTER 499 ******************
<><> BEST BUDDIES SHARE EVERYTHING <><>
"You missed a good one, bro," Adam grinned, with no hint of embarrassment. Being caught in the act of fucking his boy was no big deal. Chad was his buddy after all, and buddies did things together. "But hey, it's never too late. What d'ya say, Nate?"
"Fine by me, sir. Who'd say no to a stud like the doc here? It's kinda natural you'd share me with your new best mate." Still lying on his back, with that cheeky Aussie grin, Nate pulled his legs back and Chad stared down at his ass, still oozing Adam's cum. "Yeah," Nate grinned, "good and lubed by Adam, sir. Turns me on, the two of you fucking me. Please, sir."
"Come on, mate," Adam urged with a laugh, "what have you got to lose? A cute ass is what."
Chad felt he was wading in even farther out of his depth. He had never encountered such a happy-go-lucky pair as these guys. And he was finding their playfulness infectious. The sight of Adam fucking, and now his handsome boy casually offering his ass to him, cut through all his doubts and inhibitions. This was sex, pure and simple ... why not?"
Chad walked to the bed and knelt behind Nate just as he had seen Adam do. He looked into Nate's sparkling eyes, pressed his stiff dick against his ass and it slid right in. What excited Chad most was being inside the ass that was slick with Adam's juice. It was almost as if he and his new buddy were fucking the boy together. He looked up at Adam and felt a new, deeper intimacy than ever before.
"Good on ya mate," Adam grinned. "Damn that's hot watching my buddy fuck my boy. Hey, he laughed, you think that makes us fuck buddies?"
Feeling totally relaxed now Chad stared down at Nate and enjoyed the ride. He had never seen the handsome young Aussie naked before, had never realized just how sexy he was with that lithe gym body and finely etched features not unlike Adam's. He fucked harder and deeper, excited by the ecstasy on Nate's face as it rolled from side to side. "That feels so good, doc," Nate sighed, and reaching up to trace the curve of Chad's pecs and the ridges of his abs. "Man, you're gorgeous."
Adam had gone into the bathroom for a minute to pee and wash his cock after fucking Nate. He came back and laughed, "Chad my man, you are one macho son-of-a-bitch fucking my boy like that. Bloody brilliant. How's it feel, kid?"
"Beautiful ... oh yeah. Different from you, sir, but bloody marvelous. You should try it sometime," Nate joked.
"Damn, I gotta get in on the action here," Adam said. "Get on your knees, boy." Nate swung one leg over and deftly twisted onto his hands and knees, with Chad's cock still in is ass. "Perfect," Adam said. "Now it's you, me and the boy, bro." On all fours now Nate raised his head, looked up at Adam and opened his mouth. Adam slid his cock in, then stared at Chad across the boy they were spit-roasting.
As they gazed at each other they fucked in sync from each end. The look they shared had never been this intense between them, a union that was not only physical – through Nate – but emotional too, united in a sexual act without actually touching each other.
Again it was Adam who took the lead. "Great, ain't he bro? Man this feels good, me and my buddy fucking my boy." But Chad was less vocal, his mind adrift as he floated in uncharted waters. He felt the boy's tight ass clenching round his cock as he gazed into Adam's smiling brown eyes and watched his muscular body moving in time with his own.
They were so close, so intimate that it felt almost as if he were fucking Adam himself. Until Adam broke the spell by grinning, "It's called sharing, doc, `cos that's what buddies do. Damn, I just busted my nuts in Nate's ass but I could almost cum again in his mouth watching your flawless body fucking his ass. It's like a fucking porn movie, doc, just before the money shot."
Nate was thrilled to be shared by Adam and his new buddy ... seemed like the most natural expression of their new friendship. Having one man's cock in his ass and the other's in his mouth felt so hot that, still on all fours, he moved one hand to his cock and stroked it.
The intensity between the two men above him increased to the point where Adam burst out laughing. "Shit, this feels so damn good, doc. You're gonna make me cum again – you and my boy's hot mouth. You ready, mates? "
Nothing more was said, the only sound being their heavy breathing and Nate's slurping mouth. Adam and Chad stared into each other's eyes – entered each other's eyes. They smiled, their bodies heaved and flexed in unison, and together they pumped their juice in the young Aussie's mouth and ass. Between them Nate pounded his cock until it soaked the bedsheet in cum.
Adam smiled at Chad. "Well that was new. Never felt anything quite like that, bro. Damn, you are something else. What d'ya say Nate?"
Nate pulled off Adam's cock and laughed. "The doc can put his shoes under my bed any day of the week, mate."
<><> Will's Advice To Nate <><>
"Hell, I'm gonna be late for work," Adam said. "I have meetings all day – I gotta jump in the shower real fast."
"Me too," Chad said, glad to have something else to concentrate on, something less complicated than love and lust. "It's back-to-back meetings for me too at the hospital."
"Suits me fine," Nate grinned. "I got my crew of boys coming and we're gonna do the rest of the cleaning around here. With you guys out of the way we'll be able to finish up." There was an uneasy do-we-hug-or-not moment and Chad took the easy but abrupt way out by saying, "OK, see you guys later ... er, thanks a lot," and he hurried out and went to his room.
Chad was operating on autopilot now – taking refuge in the normal routine of showering and dressing for work. He was so totally confused about what had just happened in the guestroom with Adam and Nate that he focused instead on the workday ahead.
Above all he knew he must not let his social life and sexual confusion interfere with his work – that was paramount. It was why, in his previous hospital job, he had lived alone, rarely socialized and devoted all his time to his work. Life was simpler then.
When he heard Adam leave the house he felt an odd mix of relief and regret. As his conflicted thoughts resurfaced he resolutely pushed them away, packed his work documents in his briefcase, looked in the mirror and straightened his tie. That was better. Staring back at him was a handsome doctor ready to resume his rewarding work as a surgeon.
He knelt down and hugged Molly. "Gotta leave you, old girl, but Nate will take good care of you, and I'll bring home treats for you." Nate assured Chad she would be in good hands, but she whimpered for some time after Chad left until she settled down, staying close to Nate.
Nate first cleaned up the guestroom, enjoying the sudden solitude of the house. His thoughts too were whirling, but more pleasurably than Chad's. He smiled to himself as he recalled the thrill of getting spit-roasted by both gorgeous blokes at once. That memory gave him another boner in his shorts and he might even have jerked off were it not for the arrival of his three young assistants on the cleanup crew.
Work occupied Nate until just after noon when Will arrived with their packed lunches. Molly ran up to him barking and Will backed off laughing, "Hey, hey, I come in peace, girl." Molly decided he was a friend and wagged her tail. "So this is the new dog. Not exactly the golden retriever Chad goes on about, not even close, but you're on the grapevine already old girl, and they all want to meet you."
Nate's boys elected to eat their lunch out in the garden where Finn and Tyler were working. They admired the two good-looking young gardeners and listened eagerly as Finn and Tyler showed off their knowledge of gardens and landscaping.
Nate persuaded Will to stick around for a while and Will said, "The twins are doing the tribe's lunches so sure, dude, I can spare half an hour." They sat in the kitchen with Molly and chatted while Nate ate. "So how's it feel living here with Chad?" Will asked.
"Well, it's only for a week, until Randy's finished renovating our house. But Will, I tell ya mate, I'm really lovin' it."
"What about Adam and Chad. Are they lovers yet? And how would you feel about that?"
"Dude I have no idea what they are and I don't think they know, beyond being good mates. How do I feel about that? Well, the thing is I've known for some time that me and Adam are in a rut. Oh we still love each other and sex is great. But spending so much time alone together we're stuck in a routine – dinner after work, making love before bed, morning sex, then off to work.
"That regular morning fuck has been just that, a morning fuck, except for this morning when Chad joined in and they spit-roasted me – kicked our sex life into high gear, I can tell you. I hope it wasn't just a one-off, getting worked over by both those hot studs.
"Tell you the truth, Will, I'm real stoked that Adam has found such a man as Chad `cos I think it will give him a boost. And I gotta admit, dude, their friendship might take the social and sexual pressure off me, give me more time to spend with you guys and my best pal Jamie."
Will was pensive. "Yeah, I get all that, Nate, but everyone knows that Chad really wants to be a one-man guy, someone's lover instead of sleeping around. He's got the house and the wisteria, the fireplace and the golden ... well, Molly ... and all he needs now is the lover, which he's been looking for since he came to the tribe."
"OK," Nate smiled, "and your next question is, could that be Adam. And my reply is – who the hell knows? So far I've seen no signs of sexual feelings between them – you know, chemistry. They behave more like brothers – real good mates – both fucking me like buddies do, and getting off on it. But no, I can't imagine them having sex with each other. That's not on. I wish there was some way I could help."
Will frowned. "Nate, Bob's always telling me we shouldn't give advice about love ..."
"... but you're about to anyway," Nate grinned. "Please, dude. Only can you keep all this just between us? If it gets on the grapevine it'll become a five-act opera in no time."
"OK, sure. But is it all right if I tell Bob what we've said, and the twins too? I tell them everything, but you know them, it'll go no farther."
Nate agreed and Will took a deep breath. "Seems to me these guys still have a lot to sort out. There's prob'ly a lot going on under the surface but they have to explore a bit more. It's a real intimate thing, though, and they need some private space. They ain't gonna feel free to open up with you around. So my suggestion would be to give them that space. You said you wanna spend more time with Jamie ..."
"... and Jamie and me have been wanting to go surfing together like we used to. You may be onto something, Will. It would be fun to spend a day at the beach with Jamie and sleep over afterwards with him. I know his cop Mark is working nights this week."
"So there you go, buddy. Who knows what will happen between the guys, prob'ly nothing at all – just hang out like buddies do. But at least you'll have your answer – just good mates."
"Yeah, that's prob'ly it, Will. So you're saying I should do nothing – stay out of their way and wait and see."
"That's pretty much it, dude. At least they'll have Molly. Maybe she can sprinkle some fairy dust over them."
"Nah, only thing she's likely to sprinkle is pee in the fireplace." They laughed and hugged and Will went back home to the twins."
<><> AVOIDING THE SUBJECT <><>
Chad and Adam both got home late from work after long tiring days and Nate had dinner ready. Will had offered to come by and help Nate cook, and had already left, so Nate just had to put the finishing touches and serve it.
Nate and the two men ate together in the dining room and the men talked about their day at work. But Nate sensed that their conversation was somewhat forced, with an ill-defined tension in the air. Not a word was said about their three-way sex that morning, and that was odd as it had been such an unexpected and exhilarating event. Clearly they were tiptoeing carefully around the subject, in fact avoiding any mention of sex.
There was also the pending question of sleeping arrangements tonight. Nate had spent last night in San Diego, and Adam and Chad had slept in Chad's room to keep Molly company.
But there had been no question of sex between them that night, except for Adam's drowsy dawn mumblings about jerking each other off just to get rid of their morning boners. And even that had been averted by Nate's arrival and his customary morning fuck with Adam. Chad had joined in at the end but it had been a sudden impulse, a one-off, with no apparent repercussions – except added confusion for Chad.
No, sex had not been discussed nor deliberately acted upon, and that was the case now – a subject to be avoided.
There seemed to be no ideal time for Nate to mention his plan so he just charged right in. "Er, Adam, I been talking to Jamie and he's taking the day off tomorrow to go surfing. I wondered if it would be OK if I joined him. We haven't done that in a while."
"Sure, mate, go for it," Adam said enthusiastically. "You've worked bloody hard cleaning up this place and helping Chad to move in, so you deserve a day off."
"And, er, Mark is working nights this week so we thought we'd make a whole day of it – go out to eat dinner and then sleep over – if that's OK with you."
Adam glanced at Chad who was staring at his plate and didn't react. "Sure, sounds like fun, kid. You and Jamie are mates from way back and you haven't been seeing much of each other. Just be careful on those surfboards dude, after what happened to Jamie last time. That was touch and go but he recovered thanks to the doc here. Just think, if it hadn't been for that we would never have met him and we wouldn't be here now."
Chad blushed slightly and cursed himself for it, keeping his eyes on his plate. He was saved by Molly who was asleep under the table and snoring louder. "Huh," Adam chuckled, "she's got the right idea. I'm bushed after the day I've had so how about we hit the sack, eh Nate?"
"Right there with you, sir. I gotta get up early to catch the morning surf with Jamie. OK, Chad, if I clear the table tomorrow?"
"Sure, sure, I can take care of it in the morning. Off you go – and have fun at the beach tomorrow. `Night Adam."
"G'night, bro," Adam smiled. "Sleep well." As they walked away Chad stared at Adam's back under his tan T-shirt – his broad shoulders and muscular arms, wide lats tapering down to that long sexy waist, and the perfect bulge of his ass flexing under his jeans. Trying to ignore his growing hard-on Chad said, "Hey, rouse yourself, sleeping beauty. Time for bed."
Molly emerged from under the table and looked around for Adam. "No, kid, it's just you and me tonight." In the bedroom Chad quickly undressed and fell into bed. Molly jumped up with him and lay beside him, but again she looked around and whimpered.
"I know how you feel, old girl, but you better get used to it. Looks like that's the way it's gonna be for us from now on.
<><> SHIRTLESS AT BREAKFAST <><>
When Chad woke next morning he heard someone rattling round in the kitchen. He assumed Nate had left the house at dawn so it had to be Adam. He pulled on his cargo shorts and sneakers and headed for the kitchen, with Molly padding along behind him.
At the kitchen door he stopped and looked at Adam who had his back to him, working at the counter. He was barefoot and shirtless in beltless blue jeans, and the sun coming through the striped blinds lit his tanned body, his muscles rippling as he vigorously whipped something up in a bowl. The thought briefly flashed through Chad's mind, quickly dismissed, of how it would be waking up to see this every morning.
Chad's gasp made Adam turn around and his strong handsome features lit up with a smile. "G'day, mate. Gee, you're a sight for sore eyes so early in the morning. You sleep well?"
"Yeah, I've got used to Molly snoring, it's like white noise – lulls me to sleep. I was just gonna take her out for a walk."
"Good on ya, bro. And when you get back breakfast will be on the table – spinach, mushroom and cheese omelet and whatever else I throw in. My cooking skills ain't great but they do run to omelets. In flight we serve pre-cooked meals, except in first class where the meals are done from scratch."
"I didn't know you worked in the galley – too much of a big-shot."
"I don't, but I have to watch and supervise the crew, hence my rudimentary kitchen skills. OK, dude, hitch Molly up and get her out of my kitchen before she pees on the floor."
He went back to whipping eggs and Chad took Molly out, feeling a lightness of heart that surprised him. He put it down to having company in the house, though those simple words "my kitchen" made his heart beat faster. (Odd, he thought, how throwaway words like `my' can make so much difference.) He felt the sun hit his bare torso as Molly trotted beside him, with regular sniffing stops, and he knew that this was how it should be – this is what he wanted.
When he got back, true to his word Adam had set breakfast on the kitchen table. Chad gave Molly a bowl of her food, and while she snorted her way through it he and Adam sat on stools facing each other, neither of them bothering to put on a shirt.
"Hm, not bad though I say it myself," Adam grinned. "How's it taste, buddy?"
Chad chuckled, "Like I'm in first class."
"Nothing but the best for my best bro," Adam said, and Chad silently wished he would stop using the `bro' word, though he wasn't sure why. "You working today, Chad?"
"Yeah, but at home. I got a whole lotta plans to work up after all the suggestions at yesterday's meeting. Damn, sounds good to say that – `working at home'." How about you?"
"I gotta run out to the airport to brief an outbound crew that has several new hires. Team coordination is essential in a crew of twenty-one on those big A380's. The flight leaves at one so I should be home about three."
To Chad this felt like a regular couple discussion their upcoming day over breakfast, and again he sensed that upsurge of happiness.
After breakfast Adam went to shower and dress for work while Chad cleared up the kitchen. When Adam came in again he was wearing his airline uniform and he walked up to Chad and hugged him goodbye. It was the first time he had done that but it seemed the most normal thing in the world. "'Bye, mates," he grinned at Chad and Molly. "Take care of each other."
And with that he was gone, leaving Chad feeling emotions that were more tangled than ever.
<><> FEAR OF INTIMACY <><>
Time to concentrate on his work and turn his back on all things domestic, social and sexual.
In the house renovation Randy had turned one unused room into a comfortable office for the doctor and that's where Chad went now. It was a bright, sunny room and his desk was next to a window with a view of the garden, where he could see Tyler and Finn working. It was obvious from their body language and laughter that they enjoyed each other's company, and he had heard the rumors that they sometimes took a break for sex with each other.
He had worked steadily for several hours when the phone rang. It was Bob, asking if he could come by to discuss a few money matters. Chad was pleased for the chance to take a break from his work and when Bob walked in Chad felt his mood lighten. Bob was not only gorgeous to look at, but had a calm, confident demeanor that made Chad feel somehow safer.
Bob made much of Molly who took to him right away. "Much nicer than a golden retriever," Bob said. "And rescued mutts are always devoted to the guy, or guys, who saved them."
They sat down and went over several accounts on which Bob needed the doctor's approval, which Chad was happy to give, having complete faith in Bob's integrity and superior financial knowledge. When they finished Chad opened a bottle of Chardonnay and they sat by the window looking down at the young gardeners. "I keep hoping they're going to prove the rumors are true," Chad grinned, "so I can watch the kids make love in the long grass."
"Oh they're true all right," Bob laughed. "Randy and I have seen them at it from our bedroom window. It's quite a sight – made Randy so horny he threw me on the bed and fucked me. `Course it doesn't take much for that oversexed gypsy to do that. Happens all the time."
"Well at least someone's getting it regular," Chad grinned ruefully.
"Ah, I was wondering if we'd get onto that subject. I should tell you, Chad, that Will shared with me a conversation he had with Nate, mostly about you and Adam. He wasn't betraying a confidence ... it seems Nate wanted me to know. I got the gist of what's going on, but tell me yourself how you're feeling."
"Bob I wish I knew. One minute I'm floating on air and the next minute I'm in deep water swimming against the current, afraid I'm gonna drown."
Chad described to Bob the highs and lows that he felt living with Adam the last few days – sitting by the fireplace together in the evening with Molly ... sharing a bed with him without touching ... watching Adam make love to Nate and then joining in at the end for a wild spit roast. And then this morning having breakfast together like a regular couple talking about their day.
"I mean parts of it are just what I've always wanted, Bob. We're real good buddies, we have a lot in common and of course the guy is drop-dead gorgeous. But ..."
"... but then there's the question of sex ... or the lack of it," Bob completed his thought.
"It's just that Adam doesn't see me like that. He thinks of us as brothers – he keeps calling me `bro'. Apart from when we were both fucking Nate, Adam doesn't think of me sexually at all."
"Are you sure, Chad? Have you asked him?"
"No, of course not, I can't do that. `Hey, Adam, so do I turn your on or what?' But it's pretty obvious anyway. He's never even touched me, except for a goodbye hug this morning."
"What happens when you touch him?"
"What? Well I haven't. Tell you the truth, dude, I'm not even sure what I feel. For the longest time I didn't even get an erection being around him. I do now but I'm not sure if that's actually sexual attraction or... or something else. I'm a mess, Bob. A complete mess."
"Well on that we agree," Bob laughed. "Chad I'll tell you of a phenomenon that Doc Steve once described to me. He said sometimes if the physical attraction is so strong between two guys it can have a reverse effect from what you'd expect. Instead of drawing them together it inhibits them, so they don't even touch each other. The feeling is so strong it subconsciously scares them. Steve said it's something he sees a lot, especially in macho men – a fear of intimacy.
"Now I don't know if that's what's happening here. Hell, in this tribe there's not much fear of intimacy. Usually one hot guy sees another and next minute they're fucking. The loving by-the-fire relationship comes later. It's usually the reverse in regular society – boy meets girl, they go out a few times, gradually the affection deepens and finally they make love.
"Yeah," Chad said, "but we don't live in a Jane Austen world, Bob, where, as I recall, you never see anyone actually fuck. Anyway, there's still the question of Nate. Last thing I wanna do is come between those guys."
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that, doc. From what Will told me Nate would love for you two to get together. Seems it can be rather a strain with Adam depending on him for everything – emotionally, domestically, socially. Hell, it's only `cos Adam's got you for company today that Nate feels free to take the day off with his pal Jamie. He's been wanting to do that for weeks. Plus he's dying to get spit-roasted again," Bob smiled, then rubbed his chin in thought.
"So, you and Adam are alone together tonight? My advice is to have that cozy evening sipping brandy by the fire, with Molly at your feet, the scent of wisteria floating in through the open window. If that don't get the bodily juices flowing nothing will. Worth a try, eh?"
Chad threw his arms round Bob. "God I love you, dude. If ever you run away from Randy you know where you'll find a nice fireside welcome – wisteria included, no extra charge."
"I'll remember that, Chad. Maybe hold it over Randy as a threat. `Course he'd just build me the biggest fireplace you ever saw and plant a wisteria jungle to keep me happy. Good luck tonight, doc. My fingers are crossed for you."
<><> LIKE A REGULAR COUPLE <><>
Bob left and Chad went back to work with a heavy sigh. An hour later he was interrupted again, this time by a shout from below – "Hey, doc." He opened the window and saw Finn staring up from the garden. "Doc, the guy's here delivering your logs. Shall I tell him to pile them in that shed out back?"
"Yes please, Finn. Oh wait." He pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and tossed it down. "And give him this tip, will you?"
"Sure thing, doc. Then I'll bring some logs in and set them in the fireplace ready for you guys."
Ready for you guys?' Chad thought. Could it be that the story of him and Adam was already on the grapevine? He smiled, noting also that Finn, cocky as ever, still avoided calling him sir'.
He got back to work and found himself working faster at his computer as if racing toward a deadline. Which he was – a three-o'clock deadline when Adam said he would be home. Subconsciously he wanted to be free of work distractions when he got here.
Just after three he closed his laptop and went to his bedroom. He had been barefoot and now he put on sneakers and changed his old T-shirt for a denim shirt that hung untucked, and unbuttoned at the neck. He looked at the mirror, ran his hands through his brown hair, then undid another button. He frowned, did up the button, then shrugged and undid it again, just enough for the curve of his pecs to show underneath.
He smiled wryly at himself. What the fuck was he doing? He was acting like a teenager getting ready for a date. He told himself to calm the fuck down, but his heart still missed a beat when he eventually heard Adam's car pull up outside. Adam came into Chad's bedroom, looking handsome as ever in his black airline uniform, his hair a bit disheveled and his tie pulled loose.
He flopped down in an armchair (like he belonged here, Chad thought). "Rough day, Adam? You're later than you thought."
"Yeah, the flight took a forty-five-minute delay so they could do a secondary security sweep. So you've got five-hundred passengers pissed off right from the start. But it gave me a chance to see how the cabin crew handled a delay, and the flight will make up the time en route."
Chad realized Adam was still in airline mode, but he soon visibly relaxed and his face broke into a gleaming smile. "Tell me you've been working hard too, doc, and I won't feel so bad. Get all those plans squared away?"
"Yeah I'm finished for the day. Actually, I was gonna go down to the grocery store and get some things for dinner. Wanna come?"
"Sure thing, mate – get the smell of jet fuel out of my nostrils. Let me just change out of this monkey suit first."
He was already unbuttoning his shirt, giving Chad a tantalizing glimpse of his chest. He left and when Chad met him a few minutes later at the front door he stifled a gasp. Adam was in jeans and boots and a simple white T-shirt stretched over the curves of his pecs and abs, the short sleeves hugging his biceps. Tall and casual, with a sexy stride and his deep Aussie accent he caused an instant erection in Chad's pants.
At the market Chad pushed the basket and said, "I'll make the food choices, OK?"
"Hell no," Adam protested playfully. "I know about food, I help plan menus in my job. You're a surgeon – all you do is wield a scalpel. Still, I guess you could say you cut up meat for a living."
"That is really fucking gross, you know that? OK, we'll both choose – fifty-fifty, how's that?"
"Fifty-fifty sounds just about right to me, bro," Adam agreed, with a gleam in his eye.
The teasing banter continued as they laughed their way round the market. At the checkout counter Adam disappeared and came back from the liquor department with a bottle of champagne. "I feel like celebrating," he explained simply, pulling a credit card from his wallet. "This is all on me, mate."
"No way – I'll pay."
A debate ensued with dueling credit cards until the clerk, a motherly type, smiled, "Boys, boys, no fighting, I'm the ref here. When you get home you can fight and do whatever you like."
"OK, ref, we'll be sure to do that," Chad said, with a sly glance at Adam.
Back home they were greeted exuberantly by Molly running from one to the other, and as they were unloading the groceries in the kitchen Chad said, "Oh, by the way, the logs were delivered today so we can have a real fire tonight."
"Great, the forecast says it's gonna be chilly. Let's have an early dinner, OK? Hey, did you know that Will left two of his dark green aprons here and two chef's hats. Said we should always wear them when preparing food. Here ..." He tossed an apron and hat to Chad and they put them on and stood back to admire.
"Oh yeah, mate," Adam grinned, "real sexy. Here, tilt the hat to one side, let's see some hair." Adam adjusted the hat on Chad and fluffed his hair. He let his fingers linger on Chad's face and they looked into each other's eyes ... and then away. The moment had passed, and Adam said, "Now, you may be good at chopping up people, doc, but let an expert show you the fast way to chop vegetables."
Chad grimaced, "Dude, I know Aussies can be kinda earthy but can we try to keep the gross-out factor down a bit?"
Adam shrugged casually. "No ..." The kitchen echoed with their laughter and Molly's barking.
<><> THE TRUTH AT LAST <><>
It was already dark outside and the scene was just what Chad had imagined so often. The fire was blazing away reflecting a warm glow on the faces of the two men sitting side by side on the couch in front of the low coffee table, eating dinner, drinking wine and talking. The crackle of the fire mixed with the wheezy breathing of Molly asleep on the hearthrug. A window was cracked open at the top and the scent from the wisteria fringe wafted in.
"And now ..." Chad said, "no meal is complete without a dessert of Will's famous rhubarb pie."
"And what goes better with pie than champagne?" Adam smiled, pulling the bottle out of the ice bucket. "Watch the expert," he said, loosening the cork and turning it. "You know how many champagne bottles we open on a fifteen-hour flight?" The cork popped and Adam poured. They raised their glasses, gazed at each other and clinked glasses.
"Here's to ... well, to us, eh, doc? This feels so bloody good, right here, this moment. The fire, the company, wisteria and the ... the Molly, a better old girl than any purebred golden. This must be just what you've imagined since you bought the house, eh, bro?"
"Yeah ... well almost. All except the `bro'."
"What's that mean, mate?"
"The fact that you have to ask, Adam, is what it means. Thing is, I dreamed of something a bit more than a brother – a lot more. Let me show you." Chad leaned forward, curled his hand round the nape of Adam's neck and kissed him lightly, their lips touching for long seconds until he pulled back and blushed. "Something like that ... sorry mate, just had to do that."
"Don't apologize, dude. I kind of thought ... well I wasn't sure what I thought. It's been such a muddle." There was a long uneasy silence then Adam said, "Oh to hell with it, man, I might as well tell you. Today out at the airport I kept looking at my watch, counting down the time until I'd be back here. And when they announced the delay I thought fuck and went into the restroom in first class on the plane, looked in the mirror and pulled out my cock.
"But it wasn't me in the mirror, I saw you ... I saw your body when you undressed for bed that night, saw your face asleep on the pillow, and saw you fucking my boy. I wondered how it felt for Nate, how it felt to look up at you and feel your cock in his ass, how it would feel in my ass. And that made me cum, all over the mirror.
"I had the devil of a job cleaning it and leaving no trace of my jizz, then I smoothed down my uniform and went out to face the passengers and crew. And nobody knew my secret that the tall handsome Aussie who makes heads turn as he walks down the aisle of the plane had just been in the john jerking off to the image of the gorgeous man he was falling in love with. Nobody knew – least of all you, buddy."
"But Adam, you never gave any hint, any sign that ..."
"Chad, there's something you should know about us Aussies. Sure we have that easy-going, cheerful attitude to life – earthy you called it – but underneath all that we bury a lot of sentimental stuff. Maybe because it's not macho, maybe because we're scared. I was scared – scared of loving someone like you, scared of rejection ..."
"... fear of intimacy, Bob called it."
"Yeah, all of that. And then there was Nate. Oh I know Nate would love me to have a lover – as well as him not instead of. He knows he'll always be my boy, no worries there. No, the problem was that you always said you were a one-man guy, you wanted a monogamous relationship, so I knew you couldn't accept me and Nate. And I didn't want to face rejection.
"So I thought maybe just being with you, close to you – in the kitchen, kidding around in the market, here by the fire, and sharing a bed without touching – would be enough."
"But it's not, is it, Adam? I've been in a kind of daze ever since I met you. Well not at first. I didn't even get a hard-on at first when I was with you. I guess subliminally I too was burying everything, just like an Aussie. Bob told me what Doc Steve says. That sometimes when the physical attraction is so strong between two guys, instead of drawing them together it inhibits them, so they don't even touch each other. The feeling is so intense it scares them.
"And yeah sure, I was confused about Nate. I would never, ever, come between you two. But Adam, Nate is a part of you, it's a total package, and I know now that I can embrace the whole package. But the main problem was I assumed you didn't think of me sexually – you thought of me as a bro."
They stared at each other and a slow a smile of recognition came to their eyes. "Dammit, mate, we've been a pair of total idiots, ain't we? We've done a whole lot of burying, been so fucking macho. And we've wasted so much time."
Chad smiled. "So what happens now mate?"
"Dude – and I thought doctors were smart. I should think that's bloody obvious."
"You're saying you wanna share my bed again, dude?" Chad smiled.
"Try keeping me out of it, mate."
<><> THE FINAL LEAP <><>
Adam got up and pulled the screen round the fire, then nudged Molly with his foot. "Come on old girl. We're going on a date – a first date." He threw his arm over Chad's shoulder and they went up to Chad's bedroom, Molly padding behind wagging her tail. She didn't jump up on the bed this time, but flopped instead in her basket by the wall.
"Smart girl," Chad said. But then the two men stopped in the middle of the room staring at each other, not sure what move came next. "Damn," Chad grinned. "Now I know how a couple feels on their wedding night. It's been a weeks-long buildup to the big moment and now they're scared to make the final leap off the cliff."
"Or into the bed," Adam chuckled. "But we, mate, are made of sterner stuff." Chad reached up to the buttons of his denim shirt but Adam said, "No, buddy, let me do that." Staring into Chad's hazel eyes he slowly unbuttoned the shirt and pushed it open. Then he reached inside and ran his hands lightly over his smooth flesh.
"You know how many times I wanted to do that? You are so fucking beautiful ... I wanna see the whole thing. He pushed the shirt off over his shoulders, then stood back and gazed at him in awe. "Man, not touching you but wanting to is almost as good as the real thing."
Chad laughed, "We're not going back to that whole no-touch thing, are we dude? Not sure I could take any more of that."
"Oh fuck," Adam drawled, "who are we bloody kidding?" He pulled off his T-shirt and they came together in a grinding embrace, chests pressed together, their hands exploring each other's back, digging into the flexed muscle. Their mouths churned against each other, tongues reaching and probing, then their lips clamped together in an airtight seal, their breaths sharing the same air over and over again.
As they kissed they frantically kicked off their shoes, ripped open their pants and let them drop. They got tangled round their ankles, tripping them up and sending them crashing together on the bed. But they hardly noticed as their frantic love-making didn't miss a beat. They ripped off their boxers and writhed naked together over the bed, off the bed onto the floor, licking, biting and kissing – mouth, eyes, cheeks and neck, then running their tongues down the cleft between their pecs.
They staggered to their feet and gazed into each other's eyes, stroking each other's nipples. "Dammit, I love you, man," Adam panted. "I'm so fucking in love with you."
"I wanna eat you," Chad grinned, "you are such a sexy mother-fucking son-of-a-bitch ... Aussie."
That made Adam laugh and they slammed together again and collapsed on the bed, desperate not to let each other go. But Chad broke free at last and gazed at Adam's square-cut features and sparkling eyes. "Dude, if this goes on I'm gonna waste my semen on the sheets. What was it you said about wondering how my dick felt in Nate's ass? You wanna find out?"
"You can seriously ask that, doc? Dammit, there's prob'ly semen smudges on the floor of a first-class toilet winging its way to Sydney even as we speak, left there by a man fantasizing about your dick in his ass."
Chad laughed, got on his knees and reached for a jar of lube on his nightstand. Adam was lying on his back, stroking his cock slowly, gazing up at the naked Greek god as he greased up his cock. "I wanna freeze this moment in time, doc, so I can live it over and over again."
"And never cum – over and over again? I don't think so, buddy. I'll give you a whole lot more moments to freeze in time ... like this one." Chad pushed one of Adam's legs back, exposing his ass, and pressed the head of his cock against the soft curly black hair round the hole.
"Adam," he said quietly. "Doc Steve said I'd probably already met the man who would be my lover without knowing it, and he was right. It was you, mate, I know it now, I'm sure of it. Here's what I mean, dude." Gently he pressed his dick against his hole and slid it smoothly over the sphincter and then deeper and deeper in his ass."
Adam's eyes opened wide. "Fuck, man ... oh Jesus ... this is it, doc. Damn your cock feels good and you look fucking awesome." He smiled. "Much better than jerking off in a first-class toilet five miles up. Fuck me, Chad, `cos I love you, man. I fucking love you."
Chad pushed in deep, then pulled back slowly and eased back in, a slowly accelerating fuck that drove them both to the edge of orgasm. But they held back, wanting this to go on and on. Chad stared down at the muscular Aussie, scarcely able to believe this was the same man he had watched and lusted for, without daring to admit it. All the brakes were off now and he was gonna ... fuck ... his ... ass!"
As the rod pistoned inside him Adam stared up at the god-like features and sculpted body that rose and fell over him, the man he had secretly craved. While he gripped his cock in one hand he reached up, almost in disbelief, and stroked the man's neck, the solid mounds of his pecs, the ripped abs and down to the pubes at the base of his cock that was pounding his ass.
"Adam," Chad said at last. "I gotta cum inside you, man. We can do this again, over and over again, for as many years as you like. But right now I wanna cum so bad, your ass feels so fucking hot."
"If I let you cum, doc, will you let me shove my dick in your ass next time?"
"Dumb question, dude. Ain't love all about sharing? Fuck, my balls are fit to burst, man. I wanna see you spurt your jizz all over that beautiful fucking body, dude." Chad leaned forward, braced his hands on Adam's heaving pecs and they stared deep into each other's eyes, seeing each other reflected in a world they now shared.
Chad's cock slowed to a gentle caressing rhythm and he saw tears well in Adam's eyes and flow down his cheeks. Chad pulled back, then drove his cock in all the way and over the inner sphincter. He let it rest there in the warm depths and Adam's startled brown eyes opened wide. "Holy shit ... fuck ... fuuuck ..." His muscles flexed as cum spurted from his cock and splashed on his body just as Chad had wanted.
Chad smiled and moaned softly, "I love you, man. I love you ..." and his juice poured deep inside the lover he had sought for so long, and had found at last.
<><> BREAKFAST FOR FOUR <><>
That night they curled up together, their heads lying side by side on the pillow. There was no more sex that night. Their relationship was not based only, or even primarily, on sex. It was based on love and laughter, on warmth and wisteria and evenings by the fire.
Oh there was carnal lust too, but that was there for the plucking, when they felt like it. They were just as happy squabbling in the market and messing up the kitchen. Or sleeping next to each other, as now, with Molly snoring softly in her basket.
In the morning Adam stirred first and woke Chad by kissing his eyes. They were still kissing when there was a tap on the door and Nate came in with a large breakfast tray.
"Good morning, sirs. I wasn't sure if it would be breakfast for one or two. I took a bet on two and I see I was right."
"Not exactly, mate," Adam grinned. "It's breakfast for three, and always will be. Sit here on the bed, kiddo, we've a lot to talk about."
Nate put the tray on the bed and joined them, but then Molly barged in and put her front paws on the bed, her head cocked and her tongue hanging out.
"OK, OK, breakfast for four," Chad laughed, shoving a piece of toast in her mouth.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 500
Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.
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